A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels, Volume 11 eBook

The government of Japan would be well pleased to encourage
trade with all nations, but for two considerations.
The first is, lest their religion should be insulted,
which was frequently the case from misguided zeal,
while there were any Christians among the Japanese.
The other proceeds from their aversion to strange customs,
or to any innovation in the manners of the people,
from which they dread the worst consequences.
When the Dutch were first established in this empire,
the then prime minister explained their opinions on
this subject in the following manner: “We
are well acquainted with the advantages resulting
from the system of government established among us,
and will on no account run the hazard of any change.
We know that great revolutions are often brought about
by imperceptible degrees, and are therefore resolved
to cure the itch of novelty by the rod of chastisement.”
Upon this maxim a law is established in Japan, by
which all the subjects of the empire are prohibited
from leaving the country; or, if any do, they must
never return. They are so wedded to their own
customs and opinions, and so jealous of the introduction
of any new or foreign customs, that they never send
any embassies to other countries, neither do they
allow their merchants to carry on commerce beyond
their own country. A few small junks are sent
in summer to the land of Yedso, a country about fifty
leagues from the northern extremity of Japan; and
it is said that they bring much gold from thence.

There is but one good harbour in Japan, all the rest
of the coast being so guarded by steep rocks or shoals,
that they have no reason to fear being invaded.
In point of military discipline and bravery, the Japanese
far exceed the Chinese, and are by no means of so base
and effeminate dispositions as most of the inhabitants
of that great empire. The government also of
Japan is perfectly uniform and well settled, so that
there cannot be any diversity of interests; for, though
several of its provinces are denominated kingdoms,
yet all these petty kings are under the strictest
subjection to the emperor, and the laws of the country
extend over all. These laws pay the strictest
regard to private property, the father transmitting
to his children not only the patrimonial estate, but
all the acquisitions of his own industry; and this
is certainly a powerful prevention of any desire of
change. Though the emperor resides at Jeddo, thirty
days journey from Naugasaki, yet he receives intelligence
in the space of three days, of the number and force
of every ship that arrives, conveyed by a chain of
signal-posts, by means of flags and fire beacons.